"May 1 have a Drink?" - Vending Spring Startup

[@50shadesofbeige88]

Wow. That machine is a classic. I remember buying cans from one of those at my fathers work in the 90s. They were 15 cents a can.

[@compu85]

Some novus polish on those vend button lenses would likely get them clear again! :)

[@markpitts5194]

I just love this old machinery

[@johnwang9914]

We had a much older model in the break room of the 4th year home room back in University. It had rounded edges so it was probably a 60's or 50's model. The coin acceptor was broken so thete was just the coin box and was wired directly so just pressing the button alone dispensed a can. Still people kept pumping coins into the slot even though they were meant to just put money in the kitty on the side or write down their debt on a students list for the snacks they took... The chemical engineering students had a chest freezer style vending machine for popsicles etc., again ancient compared to this 70's and 80's model vending machine. We always kept one slot as the mystery slot and would sometimes slip beers in there...

[@TheToastPeople]

You just run that on your porch for you and your family? thats cool as fruck!

[@JoelCrager]

Is really neat seeing how the machine works with the solenoids and micro switches. Isn't there supposed to be a cover panel over the mechanism area and not be able to see the solenoids and switches even with inner door open?

[@CelGenStudios]

You are correct that a panel is missing. I did not receive one with the machine when I bought it, nor did I receive the appropriate shims so the machine barely works for most cans and likes to jam with bottles.

[@pavlovsky0]

Love that vending machine.

[@QueenFranklin-k9b]

I'm thinking about getting me vending machine

[@veremenko]

Hah, this is wonderful. Where do I need to go to grab a pepsi? :)

[@CelGenStudios]

I'd have to then say where I live. ;)

[@veremenko]

@@CelGenStudios (Preface, I WILL NOT do this, it's creepy) I could walk around Kamloops asking for a weirdo with vintage soda machine? :-D

[@veremenko]

@@CelGenStudios I have a real question. I have the maybe the same (it's CN owned one) teletype model as you with a modem, and I could not find proper wiring diagram/documentation for it. Is it possible to pick your brain about it?

[@CelGenStudios]

@@veremenko Like for the modem or for the teletype? I can get you diagrams for the teletype but email or DM me on X and we can talk about the modem.

[@glenslick2774]

Too bad the vending machines in high school didn't have Moosehead as an option. I'm not sure why, but that was usually my beer of choice when I first started drinking beer.

[@Desmaad]

Why can't you set a higher price for the beer? Does the machine only have one register for per-unit price?

[@johnwang9914]

I would expect that you would want a machine with a dollar bill and credit card acceptor rather than just the coin receptor if you wanted to raise the price. Those old coin receptors from the 70's won't even take loonies or twoonies as they predate the higher value coins (the beer clearly labeled the machine as being in Canada). Even a dollar for the soda is hard to justify with those old coin acceptors.

[@markpitts5194]

Gutted. Ebay seller pulled out of a deal for an under counter sized machine. It's still Johns fault that I bid on it in the first place. I even checked I could get beverages in 330ml cans that would fit. (Neck Oil beer in the UK for me and Summer fruits cider for management.)

[@CelGenStudios]

they seem to show up regularly enough for not too much money if you are patient. I've seen some of the 70's bottle vending machines come and go for less than $300 in fair condition.

[@deathshaker0026]

Cool

[@Desmaad]

Why do you have a soda machine on your front porch? And why does it have beer in it?

[@minty_Joe]

"Why not?", I usually say. 😂 Now he just needs a Coke machine from the late 90s that can be hacked via the front selection buttons.

[@CelGenStudios]

"what's the most cost-inefficient drink fridge I can buy?" Seven years later here I am.

[@markpitts5194]

@@CelGenStudios What does it cost to run? or is that a sum you don't want to look at?

[@CelGenStudios]

@@markpitts5194 It's actually really cheap. I've run it through a KwH meter since day 1 and it refrigerates to "cool" rather than "ice cold". If you include that it also runs on a timer and isn't actually running 12 hours a day it costs around $25 - $30 a year.

[@compu85]

@@CelGenStudioswow that's less than I was expecting! What's your electric rate?

[@rdlockrey]

well I figure you made about $.2.25 hour for the labor loading the machine, (less power costs and wear) I don't see how you make any profit, increase the price to $2 a can for pop, its a convivence, if they want the drink they will pay a premium

[@CelGenStudios]

It's not so much trying to make money since I'm buying the product and then paying for it a second time when I want a drink. Just mumbling how *technically* I'm more likely to pay off a 12 pack of Pepsi before breaking on a 15 pack of your choice of brew.